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Taunt
Taunt is a technique involving sarcastic remark, gesture, or insult intended to demoralize the recipient, or to anger them and encourage them to react without thinking. It can be used as a form of distraction, diverting an opponents attention away from a specific person, object, or place. At times it simply be an insult or threatening gesture to an opponent. Taunting may also be used to bully someone weaker (or who the user believes to be inferior to themselves) and/or as a false showing of bravado and a way of seeming tough or cool, or as an act of defiance and/or aggression. Due to the simple nature of the technique can be used by practically anyone from normal humans (such as Bulma and Jimmy Firecracker), small children (Goten, Trunks, and even Kid Goku), to trained martial artists (Krillin and Mr. Satan), and even some of the universe's most powerful warriors (Cell Jr., Vegeta, Majin Buu, and Kid Buu). Overview Taunting has been used throughout the Dragon Ball series by a variety of characters. Even young Goku has been known to playfully taunt his opponents on occasion. Krillin suffered taunting from the Bullies of the Orin Temple who often picked on him. As a young martial artist, Mr. Satan along with his Master foolishly taunted Mercenary Tao by making fun of his hairstyle, resulting in Mr. Satan being injured and his master being killed by Tao. Goten and Trunks cheekily taunted the powerful Broly as well as his clone Bio-Broly, while their fusion Gotenks taunted the powerful Majin Buu. Due to his childish personality, Majin Buu has also been known to taunt opponents. During the Battle on Planet Namek, after being healed by Dende follow being almost killed by HAIL Frieza, Krillin heroically used the technique to divert 2nd form Frieza's attention away from Gohan giving Dende time to heal him. 'Types of Taunts A Taunt is generally an insulting gesture, usually followed along with a insulting comment, and/or sarcastic remark. Some of these gestures may be socially considered rude, offensive, in bad taste, and/or generally insulting to the one being taunted. 'List of Taunting Gestures' 'Taunting' The most commonly seen taunt is someone placing both hands on the side of their hand and then either making faces and/or sticking out their tongue. Used by Kid Goku, Krillin, Ninja Murasaki, Majin Buu, and Kid Buu. In ''Dragon Ball: Xenoverse, this is a Super Skill called Taunt. ''Akanbe '''Akanbe' (あかんべえ) is a childish gesture in Japanese culture, made by pulling a lower eyelid down to expose the red underneath. Often used in tandem with other taunting gestures. Used by Jimmy Firecracker and Kid Buu. 'False Courage' An act of false bravado used by fighters when confronting a more powerful and/or intimidating opponent. Often used by Mr. Satan to mask his fear of more powerful fighters than him and to maintain his public persona as the fearless Martial Arts Champion and Hero. 'The Finger' Also known as Flipping the Bird, Flipping someone off, and/or simply the Middle Finger. This infamously rude and universally offensive hand gesture where the user holds up their middle finger, has been used several times in the series by many characters including Recoome, Jimmy Firecracker, Babidi, Gotenks, Super Buu (Gohan absorbed), Veku, and by a punk kid who used it on a young Pan. Interestingly it has been also used by three members of the Briefs Family, Bulma (in Dragon Ball), Vegeta (on Namek in DBZ), and Trunks (in the Bio-Broly film). Due it being viewed as an offensive gesture unsuitable for young audiences (as it could be imitated by children) it is often censored (the middle finger is removed to make it appear as a clenched fist or changed to an index finger) in edited or broadcast versions of the anime, though appears in the original and uncut versions. This taunt can literally be performed by anyone with a middle finger. It was first used in Dragon Ball, by Bulma who used it to insult Emperor Pilaf after being captured. During the Battle on Planet Namek it was used twice once by Vegeta to insult the Krillin while demanding he hand over the Four-Star Namekian Dragon Ball and later by Recoome to insult Goku. Jimmy Firecracker uses it to insult Cell during the Cell Games (while preforming an Akanbe) and by his School Interviewer look-alike from the first Broly film in concept artwork featured in the 6th Daizenshuu. It was used several times during the Majin Buu conflict by Babidi (Goku was once again the target), Gotenks, and Super Buu (while celebrating his victory after managing to absorb Vegito). It was used by Trunks in film Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly on Bio-Broly. It's final us was by an unnamed older kid who used while bullying a young Pan. 'Clenched Fist' A simply hand gesture of a raised, clenched fist is used as a gesture of defiance by a number of fighters. It is usually considered to be a defiant, hostile, and/or angry gesture. Often used by an angry or defiant Vegeta. In some censored versions of the anime, the middle finger is edited and removed to make it look like the person making a clenched fist resulting it seeming to appear more often in the censored versions. 'Mooning' The act of exposing ones rear or buttocks to an opponent which can be view an act of scorn, protest, disrespect, provocation, and/or for simple shock value. It was most notable used was by Trunks who mooned Broly in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, as well as mooning Bio-Broly in the film of the same name. In censored versions of the anime, it is usually edit or removed. Hercule threatens to do this to Cell in the manga, but it is never shown though in the anime, he smacks his butt at Cell, though he was clothed. It was also done by Kid Goku in Dragon Ball GT and by his descendant Goku Jr. in Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy. An alternate and less offensive form of it involves the user simply showing the opponent their rear and/or then spanking it, while they remain fully clothed. Krillin used this variation during his taunting of 2nd form Frieza during the Battle on Planet Namek, Mr. Satan uses this when taunting Cell in the anime, and Goku taunted Uub this way during their battle in the World Martial Arts Tournament (the former in an attempt to get the latter out of his ring fright). 'The Savior Has Come' A Double-V sign pose often used by Mr. Satan to celebrate an accomplishment and/or as show of bravado (either real or false) to his both fans and opponents. Though it not viewed as an insult, it can attract the attention and/or scorn from Mr. Satan's enemies and those who know or believe him to be a fraud. 'Fighting Pose' Fighting Poses are sometimes considered a form of taunt (and vice versa) as they can cause an opponent to assume the user is mocking, insulting, or trying to provoke them. 'Super Saiyan 2' Gohan used this Transformation during the World Martial Arts Tournament as an act of intimidation to Kibito after he had asked Gohan to transform into a Super Saiyan. 'Bluff Kamehameha' Used by Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta to scare and belittle Omega Shenron in Dragon Ball GT. Gogeta pretended he was going to finish off the Shadow Dragon, only to shot out confetti and streamers from his hand instead of an energy attack. Video Game Appearances Taunting is somewhat common in Dragon Ball fighting games (as well as fighting games in general) and in some games each playable character has their own taunt. Depending on the game, taunting may either due nothing, leaves the user wide open, and serves no real purpose, while in others it may have an effect on the opponent such as causing the opponent to lose some ki (Budokai series), force them to lock-on to the user, or other effects. In Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z & Dragon Ball: Xenoverse, taunting is used to force an opponent (or opponents) to lock-on to the user (if they aren't all ready) and in team battles can be used prevent them from targeting ones allies by forcing them to lock-on the user. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse In Dragon Ball: Xenoverse, it is a Super Skill called Taunt where the user places their hands on the side of their head making faces while dancing from side-to-side. This super skill is used by Cell Jr., Kaiwareman, Kyukonman, Mr. Satan, Gotenks, Majin Buu, Kid Buu, and several others. The Future Warrior can obtain the skill as a reward in Parallel Quest 20: "Multiple Cell Jr. Hunt". Mr. Satan also has a variation of the Taunt as his Ultimate Skill, The Savior Has Come. Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta's Bluff Kamehameha also appears as one of his Super Skills. List of Video Game Appearences *''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai'' *''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2'' *''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3'' *''Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z'' *''Dragon Ball: Xenoverse'' Trivia *In the movies, Trunks has technically taunted the Legendary Super Saiyan Broly twice (first the original Broly and his later his clone Bio-Broly). In both cases, he used the most offensive taunts: Mooning and the Finger. He mooned Broly in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming and flipped off Bio-Broly in Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly. Though in both instances he paid for it, receiving quite the beating from the villain (Broly/Bio-Broly). **Additionally both his mother and father, Bulma and Vegeta have used the Middle Finger taunt as an insult to an enemy. Bulma flipped off Emperor Pilaf in Dragon Ball and Vegeta flipped off Krillin (before they teamed up to combat the Ginyu Force and Frieza) during the Battle on Planet Namek in Dragon Ball Z. *Most villains have met their end at some point after preforming the infamous Middle Finger taunt, Recoome was defeated by Goku and killed by Vegeta, Babidi was killed by Majin Buu (due to a passing suggestion from Goku who Babidi), and Super Buu's exist came to an end when he reverted to his pure Kid Buu form who was later killed by the Super Spirit Bomb. The only exception is Vegeta who was technically a villain when he flipped off Krillin (though Vegeta was on the threshold of the line between villain and anti-hero as he later teamed up with Krillin and Gohan, solidifying his role as the DBZ anti-hero), though he did die at the hands of Frieza later on though he was later revived (making him technically the only villain to get away with it). It gives one the impression that flipping off the heroes is really bad karma for villains. *In real life Taunting is a form of battle cry, a method in hand-to-hand combat, sarcastic remark, gesture, or insult intended to demoralize the recipient, or to anger them, and provoke them to reactionary behaviors without thinking. *Due to its almost universal status as an obscene hand gesture, the notorious Middle Finger taunt is often censored in TV broadcasts of the anime and movies, though it can be seen in the original and uncut versions. **For the same reason, Mooning is also censored though along with being offensive, it can be viewed as a form of nudity as well. *Goku has been the victim of The Finger twice, first by Recoome on Namek and later by the Wizard Babidi. However both villains met their ends shortly afterwards, as the defeated Recoome was killed by Vegeta and Babidi was killed by Majin Buu. Interestingly Goku indirectly caused both villain's deaths, as he had defeated Recoome which gave Vegeta the chance to kill him (though Goku later admonished Vegeta for killing a defenseless opponent) and Babidi was only kill by Majin Buu after Goku suggested that someone as powerful as Buu shouldn't have to take orders from someone weak like Babidi (meaning Goku technically killed Babidi by proxy). *'Mooning' was first preformed accidentally by Goku during the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament when he showed his newly regrown saiyan tail to the crowd mooning them in the process (the crowd was shocked at first due to realizing his tail was real, but weren't offended by the accidentally mooning, though the World Tournament Announcer and Krillin where not amused by Goku's antics). Goku's accidentally mooning of the crowd while showing off his saiyan tail being the first instance of mooning is somewhat ironic given the fact that Saiyan's transform into Great Apes under a full moon which is what the taunt's name is derived from. Goku is the only person to preform both versions, clothed & unclothed. **Both Goku and his descendant Goku Jr. have used the mooning taunt in the GT timeline. Goku Jr.'s great-great-grandfather Mr. Satan also threatened to use the taunt on Cell in the manga, though he did preform the clothed version on Cell in the anime. *In Granddaughter Pan, a unnamed punk kid gives the young Pan the finger (in censored versions it was edited to a clenched fist), an act which in real life is viewed as form of sexual assault on a minor if done to children and can result in jail time for the offender. Gallery References Category:Supportive techniques Category:Fighting Pose Techniques